Celebrating AAPI Heritage Month in the Classroom

Cultivate a culture of love

“I wish my teachers had shown me that it’s okay to sound and look different,” says Jane, who grew up in Fresno, in California’s Central Valley. “I grew up in a time when you wanted to be more Americanized. You didn’t want to speak your language, you didn’t want to look different, you didn’t want to stick out. You wanted to assimilate as soon as possible. Growing up, it was really hard.”

Now, Jane wants to make sure the four- and five-year-olds in her class don’t have that same experience. “I teach a culture of kindness and acceptance,” she says. “My focus is teaching them to be proud of who they are and to accept others. I don’t focus on the bad things that happen in the news, I focus on choices. I ask them, ‘What would happen if you chose not to be friends with somebody? How would that make them feel? How would you feel if somebody rejected you or said mean things to you?’”

Many Milken Educators stress kindness and acceptance in their classrooms.

Manuel Zaldivar (CT ’16), the principal at Chamberlain Elementary School in New Britain, Connecticut, is one example: “We’ve had over 18 teachers or staff who signed up for a time to pre-record a story under the themes of love, kindness, friendship, equity and care.” The school shared those read-alouds with families and the community on social media and through Google Classroom.